The Flower
by walkswithwheels
Summary: "For this was more than just a flower. Its name and meaning had been passed down from generation to generation. She knew it all like her own name." One-Shot. Written for the WA Flower Language Challenge.


**Welcome back to another Pokémon one-shot! This story was written for the Flower Language challenge and contest for the board Writers Anonymous. Each participant was assigned a flower, and had to use the flower's symbolism in the accompanying story. My flower was magenta zinnia, which symbolizes lasting affection.**

**Also, while there are parts that are alternate universe parts, this story is a heavily novelized version of canon events. Because of the particular events chosen, this story will show someone's death, and death itself will is a major theme. Other than that, I do not own Pokémon, see the author's notes for details, and enjoy!**

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**The Flower**

She always kept an eye on her son.

She watched him now as he walked in the tall green grass.

Her son took slow, small, steps, the movement of his feet difficult to see.

Uncertainty was written in his frowning face as he meandered timidly and carefully.

After a few hesitant steps, her son stopped in his tracks.

He glanced around wildly, even though he knew she was watching.

Still, her son always tried to be alert for danger, especially since he was too young to fight it off.

And being alert was never a bad thing, timidity or no.

Yet once her son saw there was no danger around, his frown turned into a small smile.

Within another minute, he scampered further into the grass. She still glimpsed happiness shining in her son's eyes as he dashed away.

A smile formed on her own face.

She couldn't help smiling when she saw her son delighted.

And that was even more so if he seemed to be overcoming shyness.

Shyness that she didn't have, and hoped he would one day overcome.

Aside from the fearfulness, her son was a smaller, younger version of herself.

He walked on brown stubby legs, with almost all of his body the same color. His tiny brown arms were at his sides, the right one tightly clutching a gleaming white bone. Said bone was equally tiny, yet fit squarely into her son's hand. He carried it with such ease that it could've been a feather.

But she knew the bone was hardly a feather.

Instead, bones were the signature item all members of her and her son's kind carried. These bones were what made them instantly recognizable to all

And the bones themselves became renowned for a specific purpose.

To be used as weapons in battle, striking foes with terrifying strength and precision.

The bone her son carried may have been tiny, and he may have been young and inexperienced, but the weapon was no less deadly.

Still, she would have to keep close watch on her son, as she still doubted he would be able to hold his own in battles.

Knowing him, he would probably run from a fight.

So she continued to focus on her son now.

She could see his petite tail going back and forth a bit, although it wasn't long before he turned around.

She glanced at her son's torso, yellow color completely contrasting with his brown body. But the contrast did not hold her attention. For on her son's head was a horned skull helmet, the same bright white as the bone he held. It was another thing unique to their species, something that all members displayed proudly. As the cheerfulness still shown in her son's black eyes, she knew her son understood the value of the object that protected them.

After all, he was not too young to understand some things.

Like that he and his mother were called Pokémon.

Or that his species was known as Cubone.

For a time, he thought his mother was the same, but he was quick to learn such was not the case.

They had the same brown body, but most of the similarities ended there. She no longer walked on short and stubby limbs, but stood tall as she traversed the world on full-length ones. Her torso was more prominent, yellow fading away to tan. Her deadly white bone stood tall and large as she gripped it in her hand. Anyone who tried to harm her son would quickly know why her species prided themselves on using bones as weapons, as she would instantly utilize hers to deliver furious blows to any opponent. Curious black eyes had been replaced by brown ones, keeping a sharp watch for any potential threats. She still wore her cherished horned skull helmet, the item as prized as what her son had despite the former's larger size.

But the most noticeable change was perhaps her name.

Her species was known as Marowak, a mature and stronger form of Cubone.

A form she hoped her son would take someday.

But someday was not now, so she simply continued watching.

She could pick up the fine movements of the rustling grass, and hear the quiet sound of the nearby river flowing. She had heard there was some sort of human settlement across there, but she didn't dare go. It wasn't like she and her son could swim well enough to get across, and it wasn't worth bothering the humans if they didn't bother them.

An imposing cave loomed to the south, swallowing all with its darkness inside. The outside of cave towered over almost everything, brown rock resembling a natural building.

Intimidating, to be sure.

However, she understood it wasn't completely hostile, as there were others of their kind that lived there. There were different species of Pokémon as well, so being careful was required. She planned to take her son there eventually, but he was too young and helpless now.

To the west there lay a long stretch of land, filled with ledges and another natural road. She knew many humans liked to train on that road, and once again, she did not bother them. The humans being there were no surprise, really. She had heard that even further west was a massive human city. But once again, she didn't dare go. Better not to bother the humans and possibly put everyone in danger. Besides, if the humans wanted to train, there were plenty of other ferocious Pokémon they could fight against.

Of course, there were other species of Pokémon here too. They were far fewer in number, however, and none of them were where she and her son were.

At this point, the only thing here was familiarity and safety.

But that didn't mean she could stop watching her son.

His earlier fear and uncertainty had vanished, replaced by an even wider smile. Her son's scampering had broken into an all-out sprint, and she could hear the grass rustling loudly as her son ran even further into it.

She returned her son's smile with her own.

But there was more to think about.

Such as the future.

She wanted many things for her son.

She wanted him to be strong, brave, and fierce, as the strongest members of her kind were.

But more than that, she wanted to tell him something.

She turned to the side, using her free hand to delicately pick up something on the ground. She brought the object even closer to her, her gaze now relaxed but focused.

For in her hand was a flower.

The petals displayed a deep, dark, but brilliant pink. The petals were woven around a round, yellow center, and she could also see a bit of red staring back at her.

Yet she didn't tear her gaze away.

For this was more than just a flower.

Its name and meaning had been passed down from generation to generation.

She knew it all like her own name.

Magenta zinnia, a symbol of lasting affection.

Between family, friends, even lovers.

And now, a symbol of the lasting affection between her and her son.

A sentimental symbol, one that could guide others through dark times.

Perhaps that's why those of her and her son's kind chose to pass the knowledge of the flower down.

Which meant that she would pass the knowledge down to her son, trusting him to carry on the tradition.

She glanced back at her son, as he still frolicked in the grass without a care in the world.

Her gaze slid back to the flower, still unruffled in her free hand.

Her son was still very young, so he might not understand the symbolism or its importance. Besides, she wasn't going to interrupt him for something so serious when he was finally so carefree.

She could wait another day.

The next day, the men came.

The grass was trampled and tore as they ran, and they didn't even seem to notice.

The sound of the river was drowned out by their pounding footsteps, to the point where the men didn't even seem to realize the river was there.

There were so many men that it was impossible to count them, and they seemed to all move as one.

With what they had on, they may as well have been.

For the men all wore pitch black outfits, emblazoned with bright red in the center. She thought she could make out the letter R, but wasn't sure.

Because the area was filled with the screams of Pokémon.

Screams of suffering, sorrow, confusion, agony…

She shuddered to think of what the men were doing to the Pokémon.

Whatever it was, it was nothing good.

She was torn from her thoughts as another scream pierced the air.

She instantly recognized it as her son's wailing cry.

To the right she could see him.

Her son was sprinting, as he had in the grass the day before.

But the joy from before had been replaced by fear and panic.

She could see her son shaking, eyes wide as he scrambled away.

But the men were gaining on him, their own eyes narrowed and cold.

She moved before she could even think.

The Pokémons' screams were joined by those of the men as she slammed into the intruders.

A deafening crash resounded through the area as the men were knocked back and to the ground.

As the slamming sounds ebbed, she was aware of her son whimpering and shaking.

He still stood behind her, but she knew that couldn't be for long.

If he was going to survive, then she had to make the message clear.

So she barked out an order, telling her son to run.

She knew that humans couldn't understand her words, but to her son, the message was obvious.

Her son took a few shaky steps, before the steps turned into a sprint and he bolted away.

However, she did not watch him leave.

She could see the men getting up from the ground, despite being battered and bruised. She narrowed her eyes as she stared straight at them, weapon at the ready.

She _wouldn't _let them harm her son!

She _couldn't_ let them harm her son!

Yet her gaze was met by the men's own cold fury, not even close to being diminished.

Suddenly, she could hear one of the men speaking. She couldn't understand human language, but could tell from the snarling tone that the words sounded angry.

And then…

The man who had spoken ran up, fury blazing in his eyes. He held something in his hand, although she wasn't sure what. It looked like a square with a handle, but there was some long part in front, and around the area at the end.

He pointed the object at her, and she still narrowed her eyes.

No matter what, she would fight to the end!

And then her ears registered a deafening, banging, sound.

She was alerted to a sudden, burning, pain in her chest, and felt as though something had penetrated there. She could feel a sticky substance dripping down, but she didn't have to see it to figure out what it was.

Not like she could, anyway.

For the burning pain was rapidly overwhelming her, as her vision began to fade.

The pain was like a fire scorching within her, and yet there was nothing she could do about it.

Her jaws parted in a piercing scream as the invisible flame devoured her from the inside out. She swore she couldn't see anything in front of her now.

And yet…

She thought she could still see the flower, as darkness took her away.

From that day on, she was floating through the air.

Yet she knew her kind didn't and couldn't do that.

This can only mean one thing.

She had left the mortal plane, becoming only a wisp of her former self.

And now she drifted alone, with only her own regrets for company.

Regrets that were still fresh in her mind.

She had failed to teach her son about the flower, and now she never could.

For the lasting affection was broken.

Gone, even.

Because ghosts could not be seen.

Could not be heard.

Could not even do anything.

But most of all, they could not strengthen bonds with the living, and the living could not form a bond with them.

For ghosts were meant to ascend to a place far beyond where the living dwelled.

And yet…

She had stayed here.

All because of what happened to her and her son that day.

Her son…

Even with her efforts, he probably didn't survive.

She had never seen him here, so she imagined he had made his way to wherever ghosts were meant to be.

After all, he was just an innocent, frightened, child running away.

She doubted he would harbor any regrets strong enough to keep him tethered to this world when he was not meant to be.

Especially since he didn't know the meaning of the flower and what had been destroyed.

And if her son wasn't dead, then he was as good as.

Who knew what type of life he was leading now?

Who knew what type of life he would lead in the future?

She didn't know, and most likely wouldn't ever.

All because of what the men had done that day.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as she sensed something.

Something dark…

Something familiar…

Within an instant, she knew what it was.

She narrowed her eyes, and resisted the urge let out a scream of fury.

It was those men from before.

The ones that had taken her life, and eternally separated her from her son.

They had come back, intent on destroying others.

Or committing some sort of malicious act.

Regardless, it couldn't have been anything good.

And she knew what she had to do.

She would stop them, even from beyond the grave, so that no one else would suffer what she and her son had.

No one else would have the lasting affection broken, no matter what the men who killed her tried to do.

She was torn from her thoughts again as she sensed something else.

The men were gathering in a large tower, with said tower nestled in a quiet town full of purple.

She was suddenly and instinctively drawn to the tower and its town, knowing the way despite never having been there.

She had never even known such a place existed when she was alive, yet now the location was imprinted into her mind, as familiar as her old home had been.

She wondered why this was, but didn't question it.

After all, wandering around in death did some odd things.

And this was just one more.

Besides, there were more important things to think about.

Like the men who were willing to bring that fate unto others.

Yet, as she began her journey, it wasn't long before her eyes narrowed again.

The men had already reached the top of the tower, ready to antagonize whoever was there.

And no matter how strong she had been in life, she could not fight them now that her life had ended.

But she could somehow protect others from them, and make it so that no one could ever reach the men on the top of the tower.

In doing so, no one would have the lasting affection broken ever again.

The tower itself was hard to miss, being a pitch black building that stretched into the sky.

She found it odd that the humans didn't realize anything was going on there.

Then again, they also didn't notice the ghost entering the tower by slipping right through a wall.

Perhaps no one paid much attention.

Nevertheless, she was soon greeted by the inside of the tower.

Rows upon rows of dark, dreary, black gravestones contrasted against white well-lit floors. She wondered if her own gravestone was here.

But she didn't wonder long.

Because she couldn't.

Almost as soon as she stepped foot in the tower, she could feel some sort of energy enveloping her.

Wrapping around her.

Transforming her.

She expected this transformation to be long and painful. After all, something involving a complete change would probably be difficult.

Yet this was anything but.

For as she pondered what was going on, the change was over in an instant.

But she could still sense what had happened.

The first thing she was alerted to was the absence of an object in her hands. Instead of the ones they held her weapon, her hands now resembled claws. The brown form before was replaced by a sickly dark green everywhere. The claws touched a completely different body as well. For although she recognized she was still floating in the air, she realized that her body had become oval-shaped, claws almost seeming detached. She was aware of another smile stretching across her face, but forced it back. This was hardly the time to smile, and it would probably look more like a smirk than anything. But the things she noticed the most was the glow of amber eyes, taking over for her sharp brown ones.

She had taken the form of a creature barely resembled a Pokémon, whose name was unknown.

Yet there was one difference that stood out above all else.

And it was something that immediately pierced her senses.

Now, the living could _see_ her.

_Hear_ her.

_Interact_ _with_ her.

By some miracle, this form gave her that.

A fearsome form, to be sure.

But one she could utilize for what she had to do.

Her senses still alerted her that the men were at the top of the tower.

If she could have narrowed her eyes, she would've.

After all, a creature that was not a Pokémon could not fight those that were.

And she doubted humans could do anything to her ominous form.

If they even dared to try.

But the form she was in couldn't anything to them either.

This form didn't even seem to have means of attacking, and if it did, she had no idea what it was.

Any attack was probably useless anyway, because as soon as one of the men was hurt, the others would just send more into the place.

But there was something she _could_ do.

She could trap the men where they were, and make sure no one could get near them.

That way, no one else would have to suffer what she did.

The area that the men were in was up of a single flight of stairs. The space in front of the flight was wide, enough for her to stop and float in front of it.

Now, no one would get past without confronting her.

And with this form, that meant no one would get past at all.

She stared at the many rows of graves, gray dreariness further contrasting against the green glow of her new form.

In the graves were those whose lasting affection had been broken forever.

And now she would make sure that the lasting affection could never be broken again.

As she stood by the stairs, the men never came down.

Perhaps they were too occupied with what they were doing.

Or perhaps her form already scared them off, and they didn't even try to confront her.

But even though the men were not encountered, others still were.

For there were those who tried to ascend to the top of the stairs, uncaring or unknowing of the danger above.

And she would lunge forward at them, her screams echoing throughout all of the tower. She would yell at the intruders to be gone and screeched at them to get out. And they would understand her, her words somehow spoken in the human tongue. Her screams would be mingled with the humans' own. The sounds were followed by widened eyes, pale faces, and pounding footsteps as the humans fled.

She could see that many of them were carrying large bouquets of flowers, and many more dropped them in their haste and fright.

Some of those flowers were magenta zinnias.

The flower she was familiar with and carried knowledge about.

And the flower whose meaning she had failed to pass on to her son.

The flower that symbolized lasting affection.

And a grim reminder of why she did what she did.

The people had already had their lasting affection broken once.

She could not let that lasting affection be broken again, especially when it came to the peoples' loved ones.

Because then those loved ones would suffer the same type of pain she had.

And that was something she could not let happen to anyone with a good heart.

So this may have been cruel, but she had to continue.

For the sake of protecting others' lasting affection.

One day, she heard familiar footsteps.

In another minute, a boy appeared.

He didn't stand out too much from other humans she'd seen, with his red cap, black hair, and simple clothing.

But she noticed something that did stand out.

It was something she used to have, or perhaps a likeness of it.

Something familiar, but at the same time anything but.

The boy seemed to be wearing some sort of white helmet.

The helmet had rings of black around it, and a bit of red.

There was some sort of yellow design, although she couldn't tell what it was or what it was for.

Yet the most noticeable attributes were two long parts resembling blue eyes jutting out from the front of the helmet.

She wondered what they were for, but quickly brushed the thought away.

What she had to do was more important.

So she lunged at the boy, preparing to scream her message.

But then the false eyes glanced at her.

In an instant, she felt herself transforming again.

She was aware of the energy still around her, but this time it was different.

Calmer.

Familiar.

Almost inviting.

She quickly realized why as she once again felt the weight of something in her hand.

Her weapon, the bone she always carried.

She was aware of something being attached to her and realized that the terrible claws were gone. Instead there was the brown hands and body that she knew she always had.

The glow had disappeared as well, and although she could not see it, she understood that her usual brown eyes had taken its place.

She no longer had the urge to smirk, instead maintaining a careful, neutral, expression. Far more appropriate, she supposed.

The oval-shaped body and face had vanished, and she felt the familiar firmness of her white skull helmet.

Yes, familiar.

All of this was.

That boy using the helmet he wore had caused her form to melt away…

And now, she was back to the creature she had been when she was alive.

But still…

The energy did not disperse.

Perhaps it was because of the boy's helmet and the false eyes, or perhaps because she was still in this place.

Regardless, she quickly realized it meant one thing.

The living still could see her.

Hear her.

Interact with her.

And the boy had willingly exposed her true form, so there was a chance he knew all this…

If this boy had forced her other form away and he ignored her message, he must've wanted to confront the wicked men upstairs.

She couldn't let him do that!

She wouldn't let anyone take the chance of having their lasting affection be broken!

No matter what abilities they had!

She glanced back at the boy.

Despite the revelation, he showed no signs of backing down.

Instead, he just stared straight at her, wearing those blue false eyes.

Her gaze turned into a hard glare, and she pointed her weapon in his direction. She could feel her body tense, still prepared for combat even after death.

If the boy was foolish enough to try and break his own lasting affection, then she wasn't letting him reach the top floor without a fight!

Yet suddenly, a cry pierced the air.

The boy gasped and said something, but she could no longer understand him.

Instead, she staggered back, her weapon dropping almost to the ground.

That cry…

She could recognize it anywhere…

Because there was only one being it could belong to…

And at that, another figure appeared.

Instantly, she forgot about where she was and what she had been doing.

None of it mattered now.

Because all that mattered was the being that now stood before her.

Her son.

The boy shouted something else, but it was like she couldn't hear.

Instead she stood, transfixed, as her son rushed towards her.

He tried to wrap his tiny arms around her, and she could feel his warm embrace.

She couldn't stop staring at her son, even as several thoughts filled her mind.

She had no idea how her son had survived.

Perhaps the wicked men hadn't seen where he'd run.

Or perhaps there were too focused on the other Pokémon that day to pay attention to him.

No matter what, her son was here.

Alive.

Safe.

And this boy…

He must be wanting to protect her son.

Perhaps the entire little town was.

Perhaps that was why the boy went to this area in the first place.

To protect everyone, but especially her son, from those wicked men that had stolen her life.

So if her son was alive and in safety…

And if this boy was going to protect him and defeat the evil men…

She had no reason to impede the boy's progress.

And if he did manage to defeat the horrible men and keep her son in safety…

Then she had no reason to stay here.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt the energy beginning to dissipate.

Her son's hands slipped away from her, and she felt herself rising.

She wondered if she would rise to the roof, but instead she registered some sort of light, and her body slowly fading.

The others must have been able to see, for she heard the boy gasp and her son wail.

She wasn't shocked at the boy's surprise, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity for her son.

Farewells were always difficult, especially when it seemed like she was finally reunited with her son and he found out what happened to her…

Upon thinking of farewells, there was another twinge of emotion.

Regret.

She had never been able to tell him about the flower.

Now, as she finally departed from the living world, she couldn't.

Or perhaps she could…

Because she had been able to communicate with the living world like this.

And it was all because of her desires to see others safe and protect their lasting affection.

So perhaps, if she wanted it enough, she could use the flower to communicate one last time…

The light was growing stronger now, as her body continued to fade away.

She thought only of the flower, of its pink petals and yellow center, of what it meant and how it shaped what she had done, of the message she had wanted to pass down…

Light suddenly seemed blind her vision now, and she wondered if her wish had gone unanswered.

And then…

As she departed the mortal world for wherever spirits were supposed to go upon death…

As her vision slipped away from her…

She could see it.

A small flower, sitting on the floor.

The flower had brilliant pink petals woven around a yellow center. There was a bit of red as well, blending beautifully with the other colors.

She smiled, and a new emotion filled her.

It was the first time she had felt this emotion since the awful day she died.

And she understood that emotion was peaceful.

Because now, everything had been fulfilled.

For this was the flower that had a meaning passed down for generations.

This was the flower she had wanted to tell her son about.

This was the flower that symbolized lasting affection.

And at last, her son could know what it meant.

At last, the lasting affection would never be broken again.

She kept her eye on the flower as her vision left her completely.

The smile never left her face.

For now, the message could be carried forever and ever.

The message of lasting affection, told by the flower.

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**Author's notes:**

**-So the idea for this story came primarily from magenta zinnia's meaning. As stated in the story, magenta zinnia means lasting affection. However, it is typically used in romantic situations. With romance being something I wasn't particularly good at or enjoyed writing, I at first was unsure what to do. Later on, I found out that magenta zinnia was also used to symbolize lasting affection between family members, or even close friends. When I realized that, I immediately thought of the story of the mother Marowak, her actions, and her son. I realized the meaning of the flower fit with that story, and so this one came to life.**

**-As mentioned before, the story heavily novelizes canon events. In Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow (the first set of Pokémon games, taking place in Kanto), the player eventually enters an area called Lavender Town. There they can learn of a mother Marowak who tried to flee the villains known as Team Rocket. Unfortunately, she was killed, with Team Rocket going after her for her skull helmet. Later variants of the story mentioned her trying to protect her son, or have her doing that **_**and**_** trying to flee. Regardless, all this takes place before the games begin. In the present day, Marowak's son, Cubone, resides in Lavender Town's refuge for orphaned and abandoned Pokémon.**

**After the story (or if the story isn't told), the player is free to wander around the town, and enter the local Pokémon burial ground, Pokémon Tower. However, if they try to ascend to the top of the tower, a voice will suddenly start speaking to them. The voice will call the player and their Pokémon intruders, and tell them to be gone. After that, the player will be forced into a battle with an unidentifiable ghost. The player can send their Pokémon out against the creature, but the Pokémon won't be able to do anything. Instead, the game will just say that the Pokémon are too scared to move, while the ghost constantly screams at them to get out. Aside from glitches or cheating, the player's only option is to flee the battle and the tower.**

**However, after getting an item called the Silph Scope, the player can enter Pokémon Tower a second time. Upon trying to access the top floor, they are thrown into battle again. However, the Silph Scope will automatically be used, revealing the ghost as Cubone's mother, Marowak. The mother Marowak can then be fought normally, and must be defeated in order to progress. Once she is defeated, the game will reveal her relationship to Cubone, state that she departed to the afterlife, and allow the player to progress. A noteworthy thing about this battle is should the player make any attempts to capture the ghost Marowak, said attempts will always fail. This makes the encounter extremely unusual in Pokémon in that while it is treated like a wild Pokémon battle (and thus, one where Pokémon could typically be captured), the Pokémon cannot be captured (similar to a Trainer battle). This was so atypical that the Pokémon series would not have another example of this, aside from remakes of the Kanto Pokémon games, **_**for over a decade **_**(Pokémon Black and White 2 being the next time something like this would happen).**

**In the first Kanto remakes, Pokémon Firered and Leafgreen, Marowak's story was kept the same. However, the next set of remakes, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, told the story little differently. In these games, the wild battle system was overhauled so that wild battles could only end in capture or fleeing. Since story reasons prevented Marowak from being captured, the battle itself was removed. Instead, the player had to trigger a series of story events that would eventually lead to Cubone running to where his mother is. With the help of the Silph Scope, Marowak discovers that her son is safe and is able to pass on peacefully. In order to have this scenario make more sense, Marowak's story is no longer optional information. Additional story was added for Cubone after that, showing him being adopted by a Trainer named Trace and becoming one of the strongest Pokémon in the region.**

**A special anime adaptation of the original games called Pokémon Origins also told the story of Marowak. The story there was similar to the original games, but also had Marowak disappear via the same method used in the Let's Go games. However, Pokémon Origins also expands on some aspects of the story, so a lot of the scenes in this story are based on that. Since Pokémon Origins was released years before Let's Go games, the additional story for Cubone is not present in the former.**

**While I tried to stay as faithful to the original story as I could, I ended up make some changes and additions.**

**-The first is that the continuation of Cubone's story is not here despite the Let's Go games being released. It was actually planned to be in the story originally. Marowak would still move on the afterlife as she had in the canon story. However, she still wouldn't mind watching her son once in a while. Thus, she is watching from the heavens as her son battles some of the strongest Trainers in the region. After he wins the battles, Marowak notices that her son has the magenta zinnia from before. In the end, Cubone holds the flower out to the sky, and says a few words about his mother. It's at that point that Marowak realizes he knows what the flower means, and smiles before heading away. This scene was omitted because I felt like it would take focus away from Marowak. I had also created the scene thinking that Marowak's story would be too short. However, it proved to be just fine by itself, so there was no need for additional content.**

**-The second change has to do with location. In the Kanto games, Cubone can only be found in the dark cave called Rock Tunnel, or in the Pokémon Tower itself. However, when Pokémon Origins shows Marowak's death scene, everything takes place in a wide open field. Therefore, neither of the locations Cubone are normally found at would make sense. Instead, the location was changed to a mixture of Kanto's Routes 9 and 10. The place is almost exactly the same as the story describes. It has a small patch of grass, and the entrance to Rock Tunnel is in the south. There is a river on the edge, and traveling down the river leads to an area called the Power Plant. To the west is a long stretch of land encompassing the rest of the area. Further west is a large city named Cerulean. I chose the particular plants are presented in the story because it was the closest I could get to Cubone's actual location while still making what happened in the anime Pokémon Origins possible.**

**-Marowak and her son being only referred to with pronouns is because of something in the canon story. Canonically, Pokémon can be given names. However, the particular Marowak and Cubone in the canon story don't have names, and just referred to by their species ones. For this story I wanted to differentiate Cubone and Marowak from other Pokémon of the same species, but also didn't want to make things confusing by giving them different names. Therefore, I chose to just use pronouns.**

**-One of the most major changes from the canon story is that flowers didn't play any role at all in it. The magenta zinnia was added for the sake of this challenge. The idea of it and its symbolism being passed down from generation to generation **_**is**_** based on something from canon, however. After capturing a Cubone, the game states that they wear the skulls of their dead mothers. Since Marowak is already associated with passing something down (albeit posthumously), I figured having knowledge of a flower also being passed down would not be too out of place.**

**-In the games, Marowak's death was never shown. However, in Pokémon Origins, the events leading up to the death were shown. The death itself is still off-screen, but Pokémon Origins still has more details than the games. Thus, the scene from Pokémon Origins is depicted in the story. Aside from the death being on-screen, there is one noticeable change. In the original story, Marowak is being death with a stun baton. However, this was changed for several reasons.**

**A stun baton typically uses electricity to incapacitate opponents. However, Marowak is one of quite a few Pokémon that is **_**completely immune to electricity.**_** Therefore, a stun baton's main purpose would immediately be nullified. Furthermore, unlike other types of batons, stun batons do not work well as blunt force weapons. This is because they will **_**most likely break**_** if used that way. Furthermore, all batons are typically nonlethal weapons, unless someone hits in a very specific place (something which a stun baton wouldn't be able to do because of being fragile). So beating **_**anyone**_** to death with a stun baton, let alone someone who is unaffected by electricity, is extremely difficult, if not **_**impossible.**_

**A gun, on the other hand, is much more likely to be lethal, and has no such restrictions. Therefore, it is used instead. As far as guns in the Pokémon world, they are hardly ever used canonically. However, when they are used, they are used by villains or otherwise have negative connotations. With Team Rocket being a particularly notorious criminal group, at least member having a gun would not be too far-fetched.**

**-The language barrier mentioned comes from canon material. In Pokémon media, all Pokémon typically speak their own language. Aside from a few exceptions, humans cannot understand this language. Likewise, most Pokémon cannot understand humans. Again, there are some exceptions (and some can even speak human language). But for the most part, language barriers are present throughout all Pokémon media.**

**-What Marowak is able to do as a ghost is based on both canon material and my interpretations. Unfortunately, Pokémon media does not give much information on what ghosts can do (as opposed to Ghost Type Pokémon, which are classified as something else entirely), and what information is given is wildly inconsistent. So I tried to mix at least some of what was known with my own interpretations. In most cases, ghosts cannot interact with the living. There are people who have the ability to interact with them, but this ability is considered a special power and one that can take a long time to properly train. Some ghosts can interact with the living without a special person present, but there are always limitations.**

**In Marowak's case, almost no one notices her ghost in her Pokémon form. Hardly anyone even mentions her being around, even when it's clear there's something wrong with the tower. Even those who seem to have a connection with spirits don't seem to identify that one of the ghosts is her. There is one person who talks about her and prays for her departed soul, but it's unknown if he has actually seen her at some point, or is simply a kind soul suspecting she might be in the Tower. Therefore, I thought it would be too far-fetched if the reason (almost) no one has seen, mentioned, or suspected her is that she **_**can't**_** interact with the living at all in her Pokémon ghost form. Ghosts passing through solid walls **_**is**_** seen in canon, so I figured I would make sense if Marowak also possessed the ability after she died. **

**-Marowak being attracted to Lavender and instantly knowing how to get there after her death is my own creation. In the canon story, it's not known how Marowak arrives at the Pokémon Tower. However, Pokémon Tower is a giant graveyard, so it would be too improbable if restless spirits were attracted to it, and understood where and what it was. It's also not explained how she knows that Team Rocket is in the Tower, or what they plan to do. Since Team Rocket are the ones responsible for her death and she's restless because of them, I thought it would make sense if she could just sense them instinctively.**

**-While the mother Marowak does take another ghostly form, it's unknown how and when she takes it. Since she's only seen using the form when she's in Pokémon Tower, I decided to have her arrival trigger a transformation into it. In canon material, she also interacts with the living, even though there's no indication that she can do that in her Pokémon form prior to that. So I had the new form also give her that ability. **

**-Marowak's other ghost form is based off of both the original Pokémon games and Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. In the latter games, Marowak's ghost form is almost exactly the same as it is in this story. However, in the Let's Go games, the form is purple instead of green. The green color instead comes from the original Kanto games. In these games, the player can encounter other ghosts, and the ghosts will be purple. However, when the player encounters Marowak before her true identity is revealed, the resulting ghost will be green. I prefer the green color, and like how it sets Marowak apart from other ghosts. So I decided to combine it with the more sinister form seen in Pokémon Let's Go.**

**-The final scene with Marowak is based on Pokémon Origins. However, there are some changes. In the original scene, Marowak never prepares to fight, and it's not known if she's still can communicate with the living after her true form is revealed. Her preparing for battle and being able to communicate afterward is a reference to the original games, and the fight that takes place there. Since the flower is not in the original story, it also is not present in the final scene originally. However, I wanted to have it appear the at the end to bring everything full circle. It's not known in spirits can leave objects after they pass on, but it's something that appears commonly in other works. Therefore, I decided to use it here. In the original story, it was not specified how Marowak departed to the afterlife, and when it was shown on-screen in Pokémon Origins, there still wasn't much detail. Therefore, I decided to add my own details about it here.**


End file.
